Subscribe to Science Friday
As far as campy horror movie tropes go, fog is an underrated fan favorite: “The Fog,” “The Mist,” even the new TV show “Widow’s Bay” features fog as a shapeless, spooky presence. But what is actually in the fog? It’s a question a team of microbiologists set out to answer. And they discovered that not only do bacteria live in some types of fog, but some of them eat pollutants in the mist.
Host Flora Lichtman chats with cloud researcher Thuong Cao about her fog hunting adventures and what her team found.
Donate To Science Friday
Invest in quality science journalism by making a donation to Science Friday.
Segment Guests
Thuong Cao
Dr. Thuong Cao is a postdoctoral researcher at Virginia Tech, based in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Segment Transcript
The transcript is being processed. It will be available 2-3 days after this story’s publication date.
Meet the Producers and Host
About Flora Lichtman
Flora Lichtman is a host of Science Friday. In a previous life, she lived on a research ship where apertivi were served on the top deck, hoisted there via pulley by the ship’s chef.
About Dee Peterschmidt
Dee Peterschmidt is Science Friday’s audio production manager, hosted the podcast Universe of Art, and composes music for Science Friday’s podcasts. Their D&D character is a clumsy bard named Chip Chap Chopman.